For eight decades, right up to the Depression, Syracuse was one of the thirty largest cities in the country with one of the best-educated and healthiest populations. For another thirty it was among the 50 largest cities. Not surprisingly, given its economic importance, it was also one of the wealthiest cities. Everyone had good jobs. Household income was well above the national average. Family bank accounts were at times higher than those in Detroit and Philadelphia. Not surprisingly, its school system was one of the best in the country.

Today Syracuse’s civic distinctions are embarrassing.

The 170th largest city (and only one of 15 in the top 200 that continues to lose population, thus making it one of the fastest shrinking cities), it ranks second in the ratio of property taxes to assessed value (3 times greater the national average), its schools produce students who are consistently in the lowest quartile of New York State students in every subject in every grade, and it is among the top 100 cities in terms of infant mortality! The obvious conclusion: the city’s economy no longer works. A recent report from the state found that average household income was $31,000 while the state average was $55,000.

Read the whole thing, as it could have been written about any number of once prosperous cities that are now in a death spiral of urban decline, especially cities in northern blue states. My only critique is the lack of emphasis on how the decline is a product of decades of progressive policies. But that’s not the problem many Syracusans had with the op-ed. Schramm faced so much criticism he was compelled to write a follow-up piece: Syracuse Can Rise Again, But Only If The Entrepreneurs Return.

Some hard facts, however, point to just how difficult the job of recovery will be. Understandably, some commenters took exception to the story told by these facts. They suggest that by pointing out these realities (low income levels, poor school performance, high taxes, and horrible infant mortality rates – none of which can be disputed), either I overlook new initiatives that hold great promise or, unbelievably, that merely by observing how tough things are in the city, I make the problem worse! Once, academics made fun of “boosterism” as a silly provincial trait. Now, one comment in reaction to my essay said that by talking about the city’s problems and not its promise, I was in the business of tearing down Syracuse. At LeMoyne, I was taught that the most dangerous thing to do in argument was to impute motives to your opponent. Happily, one commenter read my piece as a “love letter to your home town.”

The conclusion:

I surely don’t have a pat answer to the question of how to make a new, scale, robust economy for Syracuse in which no fewer than 25,000 new private sector jobs must emerge. Many of the people who populate the restaurants and lofts in downtown rely directly or indirectly on the university, the hospitals or state and local government for their livelihoods. In the grand clockworks of economics these “industries” all depend on taxpayers to a greater or lesser extent. That’s why, to be capable of shaping its future and not just surviving, the basis of any solution is that Syracuse will require a robust private sector that pays taxes. (Read More)

New York is not a right to work state, and manufacturers have been making an exodus out of the state for decades. But the government continues to grow. Leadership at the state and local level routinely caves to the demands of the public employee unions without so much as a thought to the taxpayers. Property tax rates are among the highest in the nation. Ditto for the sales tax. Viable businesses that could bring a plethora of jobs to the area are told to take a hike, or at least put on hold indefinitely. In such an environment, the urban decay isn’t the least bit surprising. But it is tragic, and with the current political climate in Washington, DC this it’s soon to become a national tragedy.

Just as a side note: A couple that we’re acquainted with has a custom home in a desirable neighborhood. Their property taxes are pretty high and they would love to move to Florida. The only thing keeping them here is the husband’s pension. He works for the state, and can’t move until it’s time to retire. So for now they put their earnings back into the local economy, but as soon as that taxpayer funded pension comes through they’re out of here, taking New York taxpayer dollars with them. How many more blue state public workers do the same thing? It could explain why so many traditionally red states have become swing states.

A great many business owners as well as individuals are now fearful of the political cycle. Obamacare is another giant unknown that creates uncertainties and liabilities with many of the rules and regulations not written yet or at the discretion of the political flavor appointee du jour.

The Democrat Party has become so radicalized and anti-capitalist that it will be quite a while if ever, IMO before a sense of stability returns to the psychology of commerce. Investors don’t want to be in a system where on the turn of an election you could be ruined by regulation or retroactive taxation or any other of a local, state or federal government’s actions. Our politicians have been able to garner the votes of the wantingly dependent in a quid pro quo affair and that has broken the trust.

Just take my husband’s business as an example. He’s lucky to be staying busy, but he can’t raise his rates even as the cost of health insurance, workers compensation insurance, materials and everything else increases. He’d like to hire another employee, but is nervous about doing so because if he slows down again he could be socked with additional fees from the state unemployment division at a time when we could least afford it. So he just keeps plugging along, making due with what we have knowing that if we invest more into the business it could pay off for us, but in this climate the risks are too great.

The public school bureaucracy atrocity discourages meeting the basic needs of educating children in reading, writing, and arithmetic; and lowers the standards of mediocrity. Local, state and authorities, and federal governments have engaged in special interest pay-to-play and cronyism to expand their control and influence over those who don’t. The overreach of government has discouraged the environment for capitalism, discouraged pro-U.S. free market trade, discouraged opportunities for local job growth without subsidization, discouraged individual property rights, discouraged traditional families from the freedom to choose liberty. Who wants to live in an area where their life, their well-being of family, their property, and their business are threatened by an egregious government, gangs, refugees and illegal aliens who don’t assimilate, and an immoral public education indoctrination system that violates and abuses the children? Many of the young people leave New York State as soon as possible to find opportunities elsewhere. It was nice of the city to fund a big shopping mall with taxpayer money for the EBT recipients and Canadians to shop at.

Then, the Marxist-government wants to march in and save the day with the U.N. Partnership for Sustainable Communities using the EPA, DOT, and HUD as money laundering machines? And they want to bring in Floating Chinese Entrepreneur Business Start-ups just offshore at the expense of American workers and communities? Good grief!

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